


home

by locrianrose



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: AU, Child Neglect, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 14:30:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5008375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/locrianrose/pseuds/locrianrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carolina doesn't want to be home. Some things have changed, and she's starting to think that some are for the better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quilly/gifts).



Coming back home wasn't always a good thing. Carolina hadn't been home in years, and that'd been a good thing. There were far too many painful memories, too many people she'd offended and burned bridges with, and of course, the father who'd been more than a small fraction of her motivation for vacating the town.  
  
The fact that she now found herself returning for his sake possessed an admirable amount of bitter irony. The man who she'd spent her entire childhood attempting to please, who'd controlled her life into adulthood through his absence, needed her help.  
  
Not that he'd admit that. Aiden had been the one to contact her. While he'd been more than happy to care for her father in the past it seemed that life has other things in mind for him. A job offer had come, far better than his current small town position, and he'd told Carolina that he'd accepted. His reasons had been unclear, and at first Carolina had been determined to let her father rot alone, ignore the fact that he now needed her care. She was free from his influence now, had molded herself into someone she doubted he'd recognize, as much as she wished he would see her as the person she was now.  
  
Perhaps it had been that wistfulness that had convinced her to ultimately accept that her father needed he now, but whatever the cause, she now found herself staring up at the ceiling of her childhood bedroom pondering just what she'd been thinking when she'd agreed to this. Her father was in his room, having refused to emerge at her presence.  It all seemed so hauntingly familiar, from the faded pictures on the walls to the stain on the carpet from the first time she'd dyed her hair the eye shattering shade of red that it was now perpetually dyed.  
  
She didn't want to be here, but yet she still was, for reasons beyond her understanding. Aiden had insisted that it was her choice, and since he'd always been far better to her than her own father, she had listened.

Maybe this was her way of trying to help the man who had shaped her life--the reason that she now fought for children who were in situations they couldn't control, who were left spiraling out of control as she had been. (Aiden had been more than willing to help her contact with a local group that were more than willing to hire someone one her reputation and abilities. It wasn't as good as her previous job, but it'd do. She'd still be able to help in this town.)

 For now though, she was going to attempt to sleep. She'd have to be at work in the morning, and while that wasn't something that she looked forwards to, it'd at least be something profitable and it wouldn't be home. 

* * *

 

 Waking up in the morning wasn't any better than the night before, but the incentive of going running did improve things somewhat. It was cathartic to force herself to run, sprinting out across a town that she'd been away from for years. Things hadn't changed as much as she would have hoped, but she did make a note of the businesses that were new--she'd be sure to shop there first, avoiding any of the area's older residents who might remember her from her childhood. There was a bakery that looked promising, and as she finished her run she decided that she'd stop by before work to grab something to eat until she had time to go to the grocery store. Her father would be fine on his own for one meal, and she'd be sure to make him eat something for dinner--Aiden had informed her that had been what he had done for her father in the past.

The bakery was exactly as inviting as she'd hoped when she'd passed it while running. There was an inviting array of delicacies, and after a moments debate she purchased a scone and some coffee, knowing that it'd last her through the day. The woman at the counter served her brusquely, taking her money without much conversation. Carolina appreciated the lack of conversation and questions, going to leave quickly after she made her purchase. She grabbed a handful of napkins, turning to go and bumping into the man who'd entered behind her, sending her coffee splattering to the floor. 

"Woah--sorry about that." The man spoke as he  scrambled for a hand of napkins of his own, ignoring the sarcastic bark of laughter from the woman behind the counter.  "Stop that, Alexa. You'll scare off customers."

Carolina didn't reply, frozen in place by the familiar voice, struggling to connect the image of the man in front of her with the other she'd known before. The most obvious change was the scarring that marred his eye, a crack in the easy beauty that he'd always possessed that left her scrambling for words even as the woman from behind the counter-- Alexa, he'd called her-- swooped in to clean up the mess.

"It's fine." Carolina forced out the words, glancing at her watch to check the time even as the man finally took in her appearance, his surprise obvious on his features. 

"Carolina?"

"York." She nodded stiffly, clutching her scone to her chest. "I should be going."

York looked hurt, frowning slightly at her. "'Lina, you said that you'd never come back here. Can't you at least give me your number?"

"I'll be late for work."

"C'mon. For old times sake. I never knew if you were okay--or what'd even happened. Your dad wouldn't even talk to me."

Carolina had to laugh bitterly at that, and the utter hurt and confusion in York's expression. 

"No surprise there. He hated you, even then."

"I was worried."

"I know." Carolina's tone softened, and she glanced at her watch once more before returning to look at the confusion in York's eyes. She sighed, then grabbed for her receipt, scribbling her number on it before pressing it into his hand. "I really need to go."

York's expression closed off slightly, but he still took the paper. 

"I'll text you."

"And I'll reply."

Carolina moved quickly, leaving the bakery and York behind, striving to forget the hurt in his expression as she returned to her car, refusing to allow herself to turn back. What's done was done, and there  was nothing that she could do know. York deserved to know what had happened, even if she doubted that he'd want to know once the shock had worn off. He'd had potential, dammit, and she'd assumed that he'd leave the town. Aiden hadn't mentioned that he remained there, and perhaps that was for the best if this was the way that things were going.

He was a part of her past, and that was how he was going to remain. This wasn't something she needed. She would talk to him, and nothing more, then he'd be able to move on if he already hadn't. Things would settle, and she'd be able to care for her father. That was all that mattered now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the long headcanons I sometimes text to Quilly while I walk from work to the bus stop.


End file.
